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How can my club use technology more to improve its primary operations?

Working for a club technology company brings with it the benefit of crowdsourcing industry trends as they begin to emerge. As we attend events, have conversations with clients and field sales inquiries, a picture begins to emerge that highlights the direction many clubs will take with their technology this year. Food and beverage, member communication, fitness and labor management are all early focal points, and the thread connecting each is that clubs are using data in unique ways within each of these areas.

Food & Beverage Operations

Mobility is the hot topic in F&B operations this year. The pandemic influenced the way many clubs operated by forcing more space between guests and prompting clubs to invest in new outdoor dining venues. Couple this with the daily sight of restaurant servers pulling a cell phone or tablet from their apron to take orders from a table full of guests, and there is no doubt that F&B service is extending from tableside to poolside and beyond.

The Data Thread: Clubs are collecting more data points on members than ever before, all in an effort to enrich the member service experience. Allergies, favorite drinks and recent orders are all available at the touch of a button for staff to access.

Member Communications

From push notifications delivered via mobile app to text messages sent directly to members’ phones, clubs are branching out to communicate with members on their own terms more than ever. Maximizing the utilization of email marketing (EMM) platforms also seems to be on the rise, with more clubs interested in connecting their customer relationship management system with their EMM platform to automate many of their member and prospect outreach initiatives.

The Data Thread: Membership marketers are more tech savvy than ever and are implementing new strategies to automate member communications. Everything from regular communications with a prospective member to onboarding messages from the general manager, chef, golf pro and more can be automated using data triggers within most capable EMM systems.

Health & Fitness

The focus on health and fitness began years ago in private clubs, with operators at clubs such as the Wentworth Club in England, Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., and John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, Fla., recognizing the coming need for greater attention to health and wellness. Now, a first-rate fitness center is becoming just as ubiquitous as a pro shop with a view of the course, and with it comes demands not just for technology within fitness equipment, but the ability for members to book personal training sessions, register for classes and even order a post-workout smoothie from the change room.

The Data Thread: Just like every other area of the business, fitness directors are interested in learning more from the data they can collect within their own facilities. Last year, Stephen Sefchick, MS, M.S., fitness director at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., had self-check-in terminals installed in the fitness facility. These terminals are used to track overall facility use as well as utilization by fitness categories such as solo, personal training or group exercise. The data captured from members has allowed the club to fine tune its fitness initiatives and focus on driving more value through their programs.

Labor Management

The labor crisis is still top of mind throughout the hospitality industry and it shows no immediate signs of correction. As expected, this is encouraging many club operators to look for new and innovative ways to streamline staff scheduling and manage the ever-changing availability of staff. A growing trend is the move away from pen and paper scheduling to more sophisticated online platforms that connect managers and staff directly to the virtual schedule. These systems largely eliminate the need for managers to draft and redraft team schedules and reduces the need for continual back and forth communication when dealing with changes and requests.

The Data Thread: It is often complex for managers to get an accurate and timely picture of labor costs. Many clubs make an educated estimate since accurate reports are only available once the pay period has been reconciled, while others painstakingly create complex forecasts in Microsoft Excel. Online scheduling systems often provide a unique view of a club’s labor budget, allowing departmental budgets to be set and monitored in real time as schedules are created and modified.

The trends club managers are facing this year vary, but the common thread seems to be that the industry is waking up to the power of data. Making the most of your club’s data requires both intent and process, but with the right tools in place, managers are able to lay the foundation of better decision making and enhanced member service.

Trevor Coughlan is Jonas Club Software’s vice president of marketing. He can be reached at [email protected].

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